Cedar Breath

Seven Souls Enter the Chromatic Underground

carves slowly into cedar bark Seven players. Seven practitioners of the forbidden art. Not exactly a cast of thousands, but when you're investigating an underground BioChromatic disc golf circuit, you work with the witnesses who show up. Week 1 of "The Color of Flight" brought its initiates to Cedar Hills under mid-50s temperatures and wind that gusted to 10.7 mph—conditions the ancient cedars barely noticed. The course watched with semi-sentient attention as these seven souls demonstrated what happens when Breath becomes trajectory. holds up carved notepad I've seen smaller conspiracies start with larger casts, and I've seen larger casts accomplish less. The evidence begins here.

Negative Space Beats Positive Vibes

Gage Stiles posted a bogey-free round. etches emphatically Eighteen holes. Zero mistakes. A 1010-rated performance that screamed "I know exactly what I'm doing" with the kind of confidence that makes investigators suspicious. His opponent? Bradley Bushman, fellow member of the Woven Spectrum Accord, who threw with chromatic enthusiasm—sole birdies on holes 2, 16, and 18—but couldn't overcome Gage's disciplined void. The lead changed hands multiple times: Bradley seized control after holes 8 and 10, but a bogey on 12 cracked his momentum. Gage's final margin: one stroke, -10 to Bradley's -9. Both WSA flingers, both "grip it and rip it" philosophy, but only one understood that absence is power. carves suspiciously The trees saw everything. They always do. 🎯

Thirty-Three Points Above Prophecy

Christopher Bower exceeded expectations by 33 rating points, posting an even-par round that looked pedestrian until you examined the forensics. His front nine was rough—seven strokes worse than his back nine—but the second half? Clean. Controlled. The kind of surge that suggests either divine intervention or hours of practice I haven't documented yet. holds up case file His brother Harrison Bower, a Carved Breath Covenant practitioner, led early with sole birdies on holes 1 and 9 before hole 15 shattered his momentum. Christopher took the division at E, Harrison finished at +3, and Matt Smith endured a cold streak from holes 11-15 that left him 87 points below rating at +9. Family rivalries. Back-nine surges. The MA3 division provided evidence that prophecy is negotiable. 📊

First, Last, and Only: A Podium Sweep 🏆

Ruth Hudson won FPO. She also finished second in FPO. And third. carves with finality When you're the sole competitor in your division, you achieve a statistical trifecta that defies traditional analysis. Her +4 round (845-rated) established the baseline for future challengers—assuming future challengers materialize. She participated in skins (0 won, but participation counts in my case files). The FPO underground circuit needs recruits. The cedars are watching. Ruth has shown up. Others should follow her example. The void awaits brave souls willing to invest Breath in this place. 🌲

Zack Riggs: Undefeated, Unchallenged, Unaccompanied

Zack Riggs dominated MA1 with a -3 finish (927-rated) in a division that offered no opposition. writes in clipped strokes His front nine was seven strokes better than his back, suggesting either fatigue or the strategic decision to coast when victory was assured. The back nine? Clean. No bogeys. The kind of disciplined finish that indicates someone who understands when to invest Breath and when to conserve it. Solo divisions are strange territories—you're competing against the course, against your own rating, against the theoretical opponents who didn't register. Zack handled all three adversaries with competence. The MA1 void remains open for those willing to challenge its current monarch. 💨

Rating Points: The Real BioChromatic Currency

carves slowly The numbers demand acknowledgment. Gage Stiles: bogey-free across 18 holes, the kind of clean sheet that suggests pre-planning or impossible luck. Christopher Bower: +33 rating points above expectation, a surge that defies statistical probability. Matt Smith: -87 points below rating, a rough outing that happens to everyone eventually. etches emphatically Clean back nines appeared across multiple divisions—Zack, Christopher, Gage—all finishing strong. Sole birdies scattered across the course like evidence at a crime scene: Bradley on 2, 16, 18; Gage on 5, 9, 15; Harrison on 1, 9. WSA and CBC trading exclusive moments, each faction leaving chromatic signatures on specific holes. The pattern suggests coordination, though I haven't yet determined if it's conscious or coincidental. Rating points are the real currency here—color translated into numbers, Breath converted into PDGA metrics. The underground circuit speaks in statistics. 📈

The Goth Barnacle Ascends to #1

holds up intricately carved case file Tag #1: "Carved Binder." Current holder: Gage Stiles. Previous holder: also Gage Stiles. The "goth barnacle" origin story—a phrase I'm apparently required to use—begins here. This tag embodies the Carved Breath Covenant's philosophy: hoarding power through negative space, investing Breath into void-like glyphs, turning absence into devastating trajectory. Gage's bogey-free round was the perfect demonstration—no wasted throws, no unnecessary flourishes, just precise arcs that knew their destinations before leaving his hand. carves with methodical precision The tag's lore speaks of "bound Commands" and "measured transactions in the economy of color." Translation: Gage threw smart, avoided mistakes, and climbed to rank 1 through discipline rather than flash. The void has a face now. It's wearing a disc golf bag and posting 1010-rated rounds. The cedars approve. 🖤

$158 Remains Hoarded in the Void

writes in clipped strokes No aces. No CTPs reported. The Super Ace pot—$158 of accumulated Breath—sits untouched, growing like a Carved Binder's vault. The chains stayed silent. The cedars watched every approach, every drive that sailed past baskets, every putt that lipped out. Divine intervention was promised. Divine intervention did not materialize. carves suspiciously The pot practices what the Covenant preaches: hoarding, waiting, accumulating power until the precise moment of release. Someone will eventually claim it. Until then, it exists as pure potential—negative space waiting to erupt with stolen color. The trees saw everything. They're disappointed but patient. ⛓️

Skins: Where Breath Becomes Legal Tender

Four players, one skins card, $18.00 exchanged as Breath became legal tender. Gage Stiles claimed the largest haul—10 skins, $10.00—including a crucial 3-skin carryover scoop on hole 15 that sealed his dominance. etches emphatically Bradley Bushman fought back with 8 skins ($8.00), opening with a birdie on hole 2 (2 skins) and closing with birdies on 16 and 18. The pattern mirrors their MPO battle: Gage's consistency versus Bradley's flash. Matt Smith and Ruth Hudson walked away with 0 skins each, their Breath invested but unrewarded. The carryover on 15 was the swing moment—Gage scooped what others couldn't claim, turning negative space into positive cash flow. Skins games are the underground circuit's most honest transaction: score converts directly to currency, no divine courts required. Any card can enable skins—Learn how to set up skins. 💵

The Cedars Noticed Your $9.40

carves with deliberate pressure Episode 1: "Cedar Breath." Siriad demonstrates BioChromatic fundamentals among the groves, simple Awakenings establishing the underground circuit's presence. Then: a purple flicker that shouldn't exist. Someone or something else is investing Breath in this place. holds up notepad The parallel is obvious. This week, seven players invested $9.40 into the Cedar Hills Course Fund—$7.00 automatic ($1 per player) plus $2.40 additional contributions. The fund sits at 0.24% of its $1,000 goal, but the cedars are patient. They've watched this course for years. They know investment compounds over time. The trees remember. The wood remembers. And they're taking notes on who shows up to throw. 🌲

Nine Weeks Remain. The Cedars Are Patient.

writes in clipped strokes Week 1 establishes the standings: Gage leads MPO, Christopher leads MA3, Ruth and Zack hold solo thrones in FPO and MA1. The underground circuit has officially opened for business. carves slowly Next week: "Hillside Wager." High-stakes color wagers. Scarves and painted miniatures changing hands. And somewhere in the treeline, a hooded figure watches, never participating but always present. The pattern is forming. I've kept the file open. The season has nine weeks remaining, and the cedars—semi-sentient, always watching—are taking testimony on every throw. The conspiracy grows. The evidence accumulates. And I'm trapped here, carving it all into permanent record. etches emphatically Coincidence? I haven't believed in those since the Cedar Betrayal. See you at Hillside Wager. The trees will be watching. They always are. 🎯